A bag of dirty water got splashed on my shoulder. It came from one of the upper floor classrooms while Ashraf and I were walking down by the Majeediyya School at around 11.00 am in the morning. That was two months ago.
Another pedestrian, my friend and I knocked on the door of Assistant Principal in a minute or so. I didn’t wait for an answer, opened the door to find 2 teachers and the principal in a meeting. May I speak to this meeting I demanded. The principal enquired “Is this urgent? When I replied “Yes, it better be, I was already inside his office. Please have s seat, the principal said. I felt a bit less angry and landed on the sofa.
The principal, for a while, went ahead completing his meeting. He reprimanded to the teacher in front of him; “Do you mean you don’t understand the content that you have to teach? I do understand, I have been teaching this subject for the last month†said the teacher. “Please attend the class, then the principal concluded the meeting.
He reached up to us and asked; “what is the problem? I almost shouted “I have been hit by a bag of dirty water, thrown just now from one of your class rooms. The principal was about to open his mouth to say something but I started again; I don’t expect you to find who did it or to compensate me for this but I do think students can be looked after much better. If there was a teacher in the classroom I guess they won’t be throwing garbage onto pedestrians. What do you think? I am sorry about this act, This has been a big problem for us lately†he agreed. I guess then you have to do something different and better than this. They are supposed to get disciplined here, educated here, I shouted and walked out of the place. “This is a common thing, said my friend Ashraf.
Educationalists in the Maldives brag that the system in place is British to suggest ours is much superior than systems practiced in South Asia. I am not sure how good is it in UK but Maldivian students appear to be very less civilized in attitude and behavior, inside and outside schools.
Mohamed Hilmy reports that Malaysia is considering the traditional way; Malaysia has announced on Monday it is considering re-introducing the previously banned act of public caning in schools as a way of disciplining wayward students. Hilmy in his blog also states currently, school principals are allowed to cane trouble-making students but only in a private room with another teacher present as a witness.
Is it a matter of teachers in our schools not knowing class management and the syllabus content that leads to pitiful behaviors we experience now? Does our imitated system serve self-praising at the cost of a generation of young people who are going astray? What lessons can Maldives learn from Malaysia’s re-aligning of the disciplinary procedures in schools? Can we afford, in anyway, more than Malaysia to let a generation of people go undisciplined?
Malaysia seems to get one fact right; with any system by any method, capable or not capable there is one overriding reality and a mission; this generation of young people cannot be sacrificed for anything they must be disciplined by all means necessary.
15 responses so far ↓
Mohamed Hilmy // Sep 4, 2007 at 11:00 am
Reading through the top part of your post and from what I hear about student behaviour, my understanding is that some of our students who lack high poistive self esteem tend to get into trouble with school authorities.
Even when criticisms are directed for behaviour change or performance improvement, it can do lasting damage to a relationship or one’s self esteem if strong hurtful words and negative criticisms are harshly used.
School authorities and families will have to be mindful of this fact to build trust and respect in forging the younger generation.
Students must learn these important values and the downside of spiteful behaviour in order to make their best contribution when they come out to serve society.
hasson // Sep 4, 2007 at 4:04 pm
It is the standard that we have everything in this country. The other day drugs were found with a girl in Aminiya. I am hopeless with this country.
Shihab // Sep 4, 2007 at 5:33 pm
The majority of teachers in the middle schools and secondary classes in this country are expatriates. A lot of them are also not fully qualified for the job. Just a subject degree does not qualify one to become a teacher. If that was the case, this world would be full of teachers.
As for discipline, the schools system has badly failed; due to various reasons. Now that Dr. Muhsin is going to be in the Civil Service Commission we have to see what happens at the top!
Discipline in our schools took a nose dive when society took a turn around and started the rebellion for democracy and freedom. That is a fact.
Schools are only a true reflection of our society. The other day, I was told, a school bag carrying child in uniform was asked by an fairly senior political figure in our society, to call “Golhaa” at a passing by Police Officer. The child was his son.
Asim // Sep 5, 2007 at 3:41 am
Shahuru, I like your articles because they will hit the soul of the problems. Many things I read do not feel like that.
Now that society gets the reality of democracy and its costs can go back start doing serious work on student discipline?
ra:zuwa: // Sep 5, 2007 at 4:59 am
Thank you Hilmy, I too don’t think canning is the best method to get children behave either. But I admire the seriousness and the priority that Malaysia has taken to make sure that the coming generation of young people well behaved.
ra:zuwa: // Sep 5, 2007 at 5:05 am
Hasson, I think we can still be hopeful. The government has to take the leadership in formulating a campaign to make sure that students are disciplined in a way best serves for them and the nation.
Parents and society will realise that without proper behaviours the probability of students bringing good results if minimal.
moyameehaa // Sep 5, 2007 at 5:05 am
disciplining students , i guess shihab have got a point there. but teachers being expatriates is not the sole problem… corruption in choosing qualified teachers…i guess its kinda business for the people involved in ‘importing’ teachers. we should appreciate that a lot of effort is being put to train teachers, but what happens to them afterwards? many do quit (specially ladies).another prob is that once a teacher is qualified and experienced… he/she becomes a sup., and then become AP/DP , then becom headmaster…or even might end up in matheemajlis budget section, if not in DPE finance section…and how the experienced are treated is sometimes unfair..so they leave the field..i mean … government sent some 30 (cant remember exact number), students to be trained as headmasters to Mysore …i found that many are teachers…or atleast in that field,but teaching and education management is different right? and while govmnt give scholships to A/L or even lower students in teaching..their teachers are stuck as teacher grade 3 or someting… not trained..with the same old salary…and there is this rashun beyru allowance prob also.im not much of an education field guy… but i knw the whole education system is …not healthy..i hope some one who knows more about the problems starts blogging (hehe)… so that we might be enlightened regarding their problems.
ra:zuwa: // Sep 5, 2007 at 5:12 am
Shihab, I hope the parent is ready to face the name calling of his son when he soon turns to 18; at things the boy decides himself. But it can be people and things dad believes are good, nice and important.
ra:zuwa: // Sep 5, 2007 at 5:22 am
Thank you Asim, Yes, we should turn our attention to actual delivery of services that matter to the people and future of the Maldives.
I think the education ministry needs to have a separate department to research disciplinary issues nation wide and deal with them in a proactive thoughtful way.
I think education is turning children into thinking and responsible people. Feeding knowledge is important, building them with good discipline is at least equally important.
ra:zuwa: // Sep 5, 2007 at 5:49 am
Dear Moyameeha, Thank you for the thoughts. I think you actually sound very well versed with in and out of education system.
Don’t you think it demands everyone to look at the mirror and ask; What am I doing so wrong that small kids who grow in my care start to misbehave after sometime?
Hameed // Sep 5, 2007 at 11:22 am
Is it not the responsibility of parents to grow up children with good discipline?
Ashraf // Sep 5, 2007 at 11:42 am
Hi,Shahuru
These things are very common here in Male’ nowadays.
Last week, my wife’s brother, who is in 9th grade in Majeedhiyya, told me that a student from his school used to commandeer his interval juice and biscuit that he take from home, and he said that this boy even runs a so-called gang. He told me that they have been doing this for a week now, and that when he refused to give his snack to them they would hit him. He complained to the teacher about this, but the teacher did nothing; it seems that the teacher was scared of those students.
I thought; “I have to do something about this, because I am the only man in the family”. So the other day, I told him that he should get together with his class friends and form a group, so that whenever that gang comes around, he won’t be alone. They have done that and now he has good students at his side; those who don’t want any bullying to happen. And the gang knows that my brother is not alone and has stopped taking his snacks.
Talking about discipline and younger generation, I am very worried about my 18-month-old son. I wonder whether I will be able to send him to Majeedhiyya School when he grows older. Well, I cannot afford to hire teachers to tutor him at home like Michael Jackson does for his children, so there is no other choice.
One thing is sure: not a day passes that Majeedhiyaa School students do not have a fight on the school grounds.
I have forgotten to tell you something. You may have heard that there are lot of gang fights in Male’. I don’t think you have witnessed any of those, but my 18 month son has. Yesterday at around 4:00 pm, when I went to a nearby shop with my son, we saw in front of us a huge fight and my son kept saying, “Bappi Beybe Dhaai, Bappi Beybe Jahaneeâ€, This is the situation in our society nowadays.
ra:zuwa: // Sep 5, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Yes, Hameed. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure the children grow up to become best they can be. But it is the responsibility of society and country too make sure the children become responsible citizen. Yes, there is no arguing about it, it has to be first and most the parent’s responsibility.
ra:zuwa: // Sep 5, 2007 at 6:05 pm
“Bappi Beybe Dhaai, Bappi Beybe Jahaneeâ€; I guess the innocent mind knows something is wrong there. The baby pointed out that it is wrong.
Who else did?
If the whole community around the area came out to point out and stop, will they be able to fight?
Yasir // Sep 15, 2007 at 5:26 am
Dear Shahuru,
Parenting contracts have now come into force here in the UK. What is also interesting is the Information Sheet for Parents, offered in the UK school system. I have attached both these samples in my downloads section, should you wish to take a look at.
Perhaps it is worth adopting such tools for the Maldives too.
regards
Yasir
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